Chris realized he was onto something when, five minutes into his first event delivery, he was already done and heading home. He knew it for sure when he earned a whole day’s wage from that single delivery.
Five years later, Big Light Letters is Brisbane’s top-rated light-up letter company, delivering to thousands of events annually and becoming Australia’s first event hire franchise. Inspired by the success of similar U.S. ventures, Big Light Letters is tapping into Australia’s $20 billion events industry to expand nationwide.
FROM BASEMENT BEGINNINGS TO EVENT EMPIRE
What began as a simple side-hustle lighting up birthdays, weddings, and corporate events has swiftly transformed into a booming enterprise. Big Light Letters Brisbane employs a team of delivery staff with a dedicated warehouse, delivery vans, and an ever-growing inventory of light up letters and event backdrops.
Despite Big Light Letters now running seamlessly, founder Chris Fernando reflects on the initial challenges of the business journey:
“I started Big Light Letters literally in my basement. I would store the letters under my house, working endless hours each day to build the brand and develop a unique booking system and website from scratch.”
The rewards of running a business have been both financial and personal:
“The Big Light Letters brand and systems have truly paid off, especially now that I have a young family. My partner Shannon and I both work in the business, allowing us to be present for all of our one-year-old daughter’s milestones. Big Light Letters has provided us with the time and financial security to enjoy these precious moments.”
CHOOSING THE FRANCHISE PATH: SHARING SUCCESS AND SIMPLIFYING GROWTH
Amidst the flourishing business, Chris faced a pivotal decision: expand independently and risk extensive time away from his family, or embrace franchise partnerships to share his blueprint for success.
For Chris, the choice was clear—a no-brainer solution that aligned with his values and ambitions:
“The best part about a franchise model is that people can skip the hard part, the challenges like what I faced in the beginning building the brand and doing all the boring stuff like developing the back-end systems. By buying a franchise, you can hit the ground running with a turnkey business that you know is proven to be successful.”
“I’ve always loved the buzz of business. Big Light Letters holds immense potential for replication in other cities and I’m excited to share this with other like-minded entrepreneurs. Together, we’re going to provide everything they need – hire stock, tools, training, systems – so they can take charge and build their own booming event empires.”
REVOLUTIONISING EVENT HIRE: THE BIG LIGHT LETTERS ADVANTAGE
The Big Light Letters franchise start-up package includes over 100 light-up letters, complementary backdrops, comprehensive training, and marketing materials. However, the real game-changer is the unique all-in-one system for inventory management, CRM, bookings, logistics, and delivery routing.
This booking system is like the ‘Uber Eats’ of event hire, bringing unprecedented automation to the event industry and making booking as easy as pick, click, delivered.
Customers can instantly browse, book, and pay online. For franchise partners, this means online orders go straight to their phone. All they have to do is deliver them then pick them up again after the event, simplifying the process and meaning anyone can do it.
And if their over 200 5-Star Google Reviews and thousands of social media followers are anything to go by, Big Light Letters have cracked the customer-service code and created an event hire experience worth raving about:
“HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! Second time hiring from this company and nothing short of a seamless, professional and EASY process from start to finish!” – Gemma Kolyvas
“Faultless company! Very easy booking process with lots of options and affordable prices.” – Shelby Whitla
“Big Light Letters Brisbane were terrific! The booking and payment process was so easy.” – Morag Dean
“I would 100% recommend this beautiful family based business to anyone wanting to make their event or celebrations even more special! The whole process from booking to the set up was super easy.” – Leila McFarlane
LEARN MORE
Want to join this exciting, fast-growing business with all the support and resources you need to succeed? For more details and to request an information pack, visit www.biglightletters.com.au, email franchise@biglightletters.com.au, or call Chris at 0481 250 285 to discuss opening a Big Light Letters location in your area.